COVENTRY have recent history to avenge when they face Elite League leaders Swindon in a crucial clash at Brandon tonight.

Due to the adverse weather, the Buildbase Bees have raced just one home fixture since a dramatic 46-44 home defeat against the Robins on May 21, and a win tonight is vital to their top two hopes - assuming the rain does not have the final say once again.

The manner of last month's loss still rankles with Bees' management, and it is thought that the origins of their recent team change to replace Morten Risager with Steve Johnston stem from that result.

Risager and Martin Smolinski failed to score a point between them on that occasion, and Billy Janniro was reduced to just three as Polish reserve Tomasz Chrzanowski ran riot with paid 18 and teamed up with Leigh Adams for a match-winning 5-1 in Heat 15.

Bees' co-boss Peter Oakes said: "I've said from the start of the season that Swindon have to be seen as the strongest side in the League, but we still should have beaten them last time.

"That we didn't was down to below-par performances from several riders, and they will feel that they owe the club a performance tonight - because those riders are fully aware that we should not be losing a match where we have provided 10 heat winners.

"We have to be confident that Billy, Martin and Steve Johnston will score more points combined than Billy, Martin and Morten did in that previous meeting. So if we repeat the 10 heat winners and still don't win, we would have to revise our thoughts on what we believe this team is capable of - and that is something we are not expecting to have to do!"

A boost for the Bees ahead of the fixture was confirmation from Swindon's official website yesterday that Chrzanowski would miss the match as he has been suffering from tonsillitis.

The Robins are set to change their No.8 from Tommy Allen to Cory Gathercole from July 1, but whoever steps into the breach will in no way offer the free-scoring potential of the Pole.

Johnston makes his home debut for the Buildbase Bees, who continue a tough run of fixtures with a trip to Poole on Wednesday.

* RORY Schlein won his World Championship quarter-final at Miskolc in Hungary yesterday with 14 points to comfortably advance to the semi-final stage. Steve Johnston is also into the semis after scoring ten at Terenzano, Italy on Saturday, while Olly Allen and Martin Smolinski race their quarterfinals next weekend.